Rupert Lee-Browne, Founder and Chief Executive of Caxton

Tell us about yourself

I am the founder and chief executive of the fintech Caxton. I founded the business in 2002 with £25,000, a borrowed office and single phone line. I’d started businesses before, some had been successful, others less so!

Caxton has since grown into a full-suite fintech business with a team of over 100 wonderful people.

We help private clients as well as businesses of all sizes, big and small, move their money quickly and easily so that everyone is paid on time. Among our clients are media companies, NHS Trusts and some of the biggest English Football Clubs.

What is the best financial decision you ever made?

Investing that £25,000 into founding my business and not relying on other investors to help fund growth.

I believe that the funding model of taking investment early opens you up to risks, and it means you are relinquishing control of your business. Control is very important in business whether it’s managerial or financial.

What financial advice do you wish someone had given you when you were a university student

To stay away from the bars! And I also wish someone had told me to build a realistic budget with somebody expert who knew how to.

It is very important to learn how to build a budget and then stick to it.

What advice would you give to students looking to set themselves up financially today?

Things are tough today there’s no doubt about that, and students will find it difficult to cope with rents, feeding themselves and being able to go out and have fun every now and again.

Your course may well take up all of your time but, if possible, get a part-time job and earn some money. University teaches you academic subjects but once you have graduated and are out in the real world, you need to know what earning money is like.

And my second piece of advice – learn to cook and learn to cook cheaply. Making a curry from scratch is one of life’s great skills, and it’s going to save money!